1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mixing control device that is suitable for use in mixing audio signals in a concert hall, a recording studio, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A combination of a fader, a knob, a push switch, and the like for adjusting audio signals of one channel, which are provided on a control panel of a mixer used in a concert or the like, is referred to as a “channel strip”. The fader has excellent manipulation properties, compared to the knob, and has characteristics capable of finely, accurately, and rapidly adjusting an allocated parameter. Only one fader is generally provided on one channel strip since the fader requires a wide mounting area. The fader is typically used to adjust the signal level of the corresponding channel. A technology for allocating the functionality of the fader to another parameter (typically, a send level for a mix bus) so as to more effectively use the manipulation properties of the fader is known in the art.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-067007 describes a technology in which, when a “sends on fader” function is activated, a fader is allocated a send level for a target bus (a preset mix bus) as a parameter that can be adjusted using the fader. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-219817 describes a technology in which a “flip switch” is provided. When the flip switch is turned on, parameters of a knob and a fader are switched to allow a send level to be allocated to the fader.
However, in the technologies described above, two parameters (for example, a signal level and a send level) of one channel cannot be simultaneously adjusted using a fader and one of the two parameters should be adjusted using a manipulator or control (for example, a knob) other than the fader. When the two parameters are alternately adjusted using a fader, there is a need to switch the functions of the fader each time a parameter is adjusted using the fader, thereby causing inconvenience of manipulation.